Adam Mancuso, 38, of Lake Forest, is COO at Lake Forest Sportscars in Lake Bluff. He also boxes, mentors veterans who want to start their own business and is helping to set up a nonprofit. Mancuso took time recently to answer a few questions for the Pioneer Press.
Q: What’s your history with boxing?
A: I won the Chicago Golden Gloves in the 178 [pounds] masters division. I’ve been involved in martial arts my whole like and started boxing three to four years ago. I’m hugely passionate about it. There’s tons of strategy and time and thought. It’s not just two guys slugging it out in the ring.
Q: What does a chief operating officer (COO) do at a car dealership?
A: Interfacing with everyone here. People and financial all fall into that bucket.
Q: On the dealership website I saw that Lake Forest Sportscars sells vehicles starting at $89,000 and going well into the $300,000 range. How do you go about finding buyers in that price range?
A: It’s a large referral base. They are very aspirational purchases in cars. This might have been a dream for 30 years.
Q: Lake Bluff seems to have a lot of car dealerships. Any idea what’s attracted them?
A: I think its space and location and timing. The area had gone from industrial to more kind of retail. We moved into a facility that used to be a chemical manufacturer.
Q: You mentor veterans. What is that like?
A: A lot of these gentleman coming out of Great Lakes [Naval Base], they are in a transitional period. We help train them into business or entrepreneurial sort of things.
Q: You also volunteer with a nonprofit called Thrive Project for America. What do you do?
A: It’s a new organization. It brings a core set of values to the youth of the country in terms of commitment and tenacity and grit. I’m helping with the organizing and execution and formation.
Twitter: @reporterdude
Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago. Check out more online at ChicagoTribune.com/ShoutOut.
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—Mark Lawton, Pioneer